Packaging carrier separable into individual and multiple carrier units



March 21, 1961 T. w. POWELL 2,975,934 ER SEPARABLE INTO INDIVIDUAL AN PACKAGING CARRI MULTIPLE CARRIER UNITS Flled Sept 17 1958 INVENTOR Truman WI Powell N k 1 w b m E I b b 9 Q\ AQ fi .L x i Q (3 Q Li ATTORNEYS Truman W. Powell, 1146 St. Augustine Place NW., Atlanta, Ga.

Filed Sept. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 761,586

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-412) This invention relates to carriers for containers such as bottles and canned beverages and foods but it more especially is directed to improvements in the six pack type of carrier for individual and packaged containers for beverages and foods, separable into individual and multiple container units.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a six pack carrier constructed from a one-piece strip or elongated blank of material such as cardboard or the like of requisite strength and flexibility, and blanked for forming a carrier for packaged containers for bottled beverages and canned foods.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a carrier constructed from a one-piece blank of cardboard or like material formed with compartments for package containers such as bottles and cans for beverages and foods, and separable into individual and multiple compartment container carrying units.

- A further object of the invention is the provision of a carrier constructed from a one-piece blank of stiff cardboard paper, paper board or like material formed with fold and separator lines adapted to define compartments for package container as referred to above when the blank is folded into the aforesaid individual and multiple container units which comprise also a multiple ply handle member characterized by high strength and rigidity, which also provides hand-gripping means for enabling the entire carrier or any selected subdivision thereof to be manually carried conveniently in one hand of a carrier.

A further object of this invention is to provide a carrier for containers of the character aforesaid, which is so constructed and arranged that an individual compartment and its packaged unit is separable from the remainder and may be so dispensed, and likewise, selectively, a number of such packaged units may be separable as a single group package. 7 A still further object of this invention is the prow'sion of a carrier for containers of the character aforesaid, which is formed with perforated lines extending completely around the carrier and through the handle structure for selectively effecting separation of an individual -compartment and package unit or selected group of such units as a single group package having a multiple ply manual handle grip provided with means enabling convenient manual gripping of a single unit or selected group of such units.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a carrier for containers of the character aforesaid, whereby during the formation of the carrier a reinforced handle structure of a multiple ply thickness of the one-piece formation blank is provided, the reinforced handle structure being provided with means enabling convenient manual gripping of the handle structure.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a carrier for containers of the character aforesaid, wherein the arrangement of the perforate lines, compartment and handle structures are such that in effecting severance of the respective compartment units from the rates Patent 2 carrier, a portion of the handle structure remains attached to each compartment unit by which said compartment with its packaged container may be carried.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a carrier for package containers of the character aforesaid, including a reinforced handle structure consisting of a multiple ply thickness of the one-piece blank, and the terminal portion of the blank overlie each other to provide a central partition wall and extend upwardly as multiple plies within the handle structure.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangements of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures of which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the strip or material blanked to indicate just how the same is manipulated to form the carrier.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of carrier for the container.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the individual compartments for carrying a packaged container and showing the upwardly projecting handle portion for carrying the compartment and packaged container unit remaining after separation of the compartment from the carrier.

in the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a one-piece elongated blank A of cardboard or other suitable strong and flexible material, and'which is formed thereon with characterizing indicia markings clearly showing how the blank may be manipulated to form the package carrier separable into individual and multiple container units as shown in Fig. 2.

Midway of its length the blank A is formed with a perforated fold line 1, and in direction to the left and spaced therefrom is a transverse rectangular cut-out opening 2 with a circular opening 3 spaced from each end thereof in alignment therewith. Spaced from said openings and each other are the fold lines 4, 5, 6, and 7. Slightly spaced from the left end of the blank is a transverse rectangular opening 8 similar to the opening 2 with the aligned circular openings 9 adjacent to each end thereof similar to openings 3. All of the said openings coming into registry responsively to proper folding of the blank.

The right hand portion of the blank A is a duplicate of the left hand portion except extending in the opposite direction, and corresponding parts are designated in similar manner by reference characters 1' to 9', respectively.

The construction of the container B, including the handle structure C now will be described.

There are various ways the folding operation may be effected, including the use of automatic packaging machineryfb'ut by way of illustration, the blank or onepiece sheet A initially is folded upon itself on the perforate line 1 bringing the aligned openings 8 and 9 into registration-with the openings 8' and 9'. The blank or strip A is then folded upwardly on fold line 4, at an angle of to provide the vertical wall portion 12 of the handle structure C and to form the panel or top side 13 of the container B, then the blank A folded downwardly on the fold line 5 to provide side 14, and inwardly on fold line 6 to form the bottom portion 15, and upwardly on fold line '7 to extend the terminal panel or portion 16 upwardly Within the handle structure C to a point immediately beneath the perforate line 1.

The same procedure is followed in connection with the right hand portion of the strip or blank A to complete the container except the operations are in opposite directions. The strip A is folded upwardly on the fold line 4 to provide the vertical wall portion 12 of the handle structure C and to form the top side 13' of the carrier B, then the strip is folded downwardly on the fold line 5' to form the side 14, then inwardly on fold line 6 to provide the bottom section 15' and then upwardly on fold line 7' to extend the terminal panel or section 16 upwardly Within the handle structure C in overlying relation with terminal panel 16 to a point immediately beneath the perforate line 1'.

It will be apparent that this centrally disposed structural arrangement provides a stabilizing and strengthening partition Wall for the container, including the handle structure, and which effects a strong rigid over-all container structure.

In view of consistency as to reference characters, in connection with the perforate lines 10 and 11 on the left hand portion of the strip A and 10 and 11 on the right hand portion, it will be noted that these lines extend the full length of the strip and completely around the carrier B and through the handle structure C.

These perforate lines 10 and 11 divide the left hand side of the carrier into container compartments a, b and c and on the right hand side of the handle and partition structures, into container compartments :1, b, and c for carrying individual packaged containers for bottled beverages, foods and the like, and whereby each compartment and contents may be readily dispensed as an individual package unit, or in package unit groups of 2, 3, and 4 packages as desired, by simply severing the perforate line or lines to include the desired number of individual units as a single package.

It will be noted that while no physical means is shown for preventing endwise displacement of the carrier contents, the same is firmly retained in position by virtue of each compartment from its bottom 15 to the top 13, being slightly less than the height of the beverage bottles or food can containers, so that by tension the containers are firmly held in place and physical effort is necessary to remove them.

It will be apparent that the strip folding operation effects the automatic registration of the four cut-out The foregoing description represents a manner in which the packaging carrier of the present invention may be produced and utilized, either as a complete entity or selectively subdivided. However, it will be apparent from the description that the structure as has been herein specifically described and illustrated, may be modified as to structural details as may become evident to one skilled in this art, for different purposes without departing from the inventive concept; and accordingly it will be apparent that there may be included within the scope of the invention such modifications and changes as may be desired or necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A carrier for receiving canned and bottled beverages and foodstufis, comprising a perfectly rectangular blank of tough flexible material having a plurality of parallel perforated lines extending longitudinally of said blank and a transverse perforated line transverse thereto near the medial portion of the blank, said blank being folded to form the carrier which includes two adjacent rectangular compartments formed by intermediate portions of the blank, a multiple ply handle on the upper portion of the carrier between the compartments and including a doubled over portion folded along said transverse perforated line, terminal portions of the blank contacting each other and providing a central partition wall between the compartments, the said terminal portions of the blank extending upwardly to form rectangular hand and circular finger-engaging openings of the handle structure C making a four panel thickness, and which further adds to the rigidity of the two ply panel container partition wall, and thereby aids in dispensing the goods from an individual package compartment unit to whatever number of such units may be dispensed as a package group, each compartment will retain a portion of the handle structure by which the detached individual unit or group package may be carried (Fig. 3), with the exception of the two center compartments b and b, which are Without such handle extensions as shown at X in Fig. 3, and to compensate for w which, the circular finger openings 17 and 17 and 18 and 18' are provided in the handle structure C and by which the compartment units b and b' may be carried when separated from the carrier. These openings are brought into registration similarly to openings 3 and 9 and 3 and 9'.

some of the multiple plies within the handle structure, and an opening formed through the doubled over handle portion and the terminal portions of the blank in each section of the carrier separated by said longitudinally extending perforated lines to provide ease in carrying regardless of the number of units into which the carrier is separated, said longitudinally extending perforated lines traversing the adjacent rectangular compartments, whereby the carrier may be divided along the perforated lines into any convenient number of individual units each having a handle portion.

2. A carrier according to claim 1 wherein the height of said compartment is slightly less than that of the containers to be housed therein so that the containers are firmly retained in position by tension of the blank.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,021 Pagan Aug. 6, 1929 1,840,757 Watkins Ian. 12, 1932 2,731,776 Currie Jan. 24, 1956 2,843,259 Metzger July 15, 1958 2,917,876 Clapp Dec. 22, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 753,614 Great Britain July 25, 1956 

